Tropical Storm Larry intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday morning, over the eastern tropical Atlantic. Larry is likely to intensify into a major hurricane over the next 2 days or so, but remains no imminent threat to land.

As of 11:00 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Larry was centered near 13.5°N 34.2°W, and was moving westward at about 17 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 70 knots (80 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 985 mb. Intensification should be slow for the next 12-24 hours due to a potential eyewall replacement cycle. However, by tonight and tomorrow morning, intensification will likely occur at a faster pace as a larger eye develops. Most of the statistical models and global models bring Larry to major hurricane strength in about two days, and that appears likely. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is currently forecasting Larry to become a Category 4 hurricane by Sunday morning, and this definitely appears possible. Larry is expected to remain in an environment of low vertical wind shear (less than 10 knots), with sufficiently warm sea surface temperatures near 27°C (80.6°F) and 700-500 mb relative humidity values above 60% for the next 48 hours or so. This should allow Larry to become a major hurricane this weekend. Shear could increase slightly in about 4-5 days, but Larry is likely to remain a powerful hurricane as it turns more to the northwest. At the moment, nearly all of the model guidance suggest Larry will turn north well east of the continental United States, though impacts to Bermuda and Atlantic Canada remain a possibility in the long range.